Writing-guide.



J. H. LACY.

WRITING GUIDE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.15, 1908.

926,427, Patented June 29, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

amen-tot Jjilaay J.H.LAGY. WRITING GUIDE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.l5, 1908.

Patented June 29, 1909.

2 BHEBTB-HHEET 2- wwmooeo UNITED STATES JOHN HUGH LACY, OF BARTOW,FLORIDA.

WRITING- GUIDE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1909.

Application filed October 15, 1908. Serial No. 457,903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN H. LACY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bar-tow, in the county of Polk and State of Florida, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Writing-Guides and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in guides for penmen andcomprises the produc tion of a simple ball bearing guide which may bereadily secured to the hand of a writer and enable the formation ofimproved written characters.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a simple guide wherebythe hand of a writer may be kept from direct contact with the paper andthe writing movement may be assisted by ball bearings arranged on theguide.

Another object of the invention is the production of a simple writingguide provided with means for readily securing the guide to a personshand and with ball bearingssecurely and firmly held on the writingguide.

TVith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing theapplication of my improved writing guide; Fig. 2 is a detailedperspective view on an enlarged scale; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionalview taken on line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of amodification applied to a persons hand Fig. 5 is a detailed perspectiveview thereof on enlarged scale; Fig. 6 is a transverse section thereof;Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another modification applied to apersons hand; Fig. 8 is a similar view on an enlarged scale; Fig. 9 is atransverse section taken on line 99 of Fig. 8, and, Fig. 10 is adetailed perspective View of another modification.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings which areprepared for illustrative purposes and accordingly are not drawn toscale, numeral 1 designates a plate preferably formed of two sectionswhich are securely soldered or brazed together and pro vided on itslower face with anti-friction means. The upper section of the plate 1 ispreferably formed with ball bearings 2 which consist of upwardlybulgedpockets and the lower section is formed with downwardly flared openings3 through which balls 4 partly extend.

The plate 1 is provided preferably with an tifriction means preferablycomprising two ball bearings which are arranged at its forward end andspaced apart on said plate and at its rear end with two ball bearingswhich are likewise spaced apart thereon, and the corners of the edges ofsaid plate are preferably rounded to prevent said plate from cutting thepaper or injuring the users hand. The rear end of the plate 1 isprovided with a U-shaped resilient hand-engaging member 5 which isformed with inwardly curved ends 6, and the forward end of the plate 1is provided with an upstanding finger engaging book 7.

A cushion 8 is adjustably secured on the plate 1 by means of an upwardlyflanged member 9 which is provided with inwardly bent ends 10, said endsbeing adapted to contact with the lower face of the plate 1. The hook 7and the Ushaped member 5 are preferably disposed at a slight angle tothe axis of the plate 1.

The writing device is applied to a persons hand by placing the upwardlyprojecting ends 6 of the U-shaped member 5 over the back of the hand andthe hook 7 over the small linger and, w hen arranged in this manner, onthe hand, the same is in position to be used. The cushion 8 serves tocomfortably seat the hand on the device, and the ball bearings enablethe device to be readily moved over a paper with very little effort,thereby considerably reducing the aggregate amount of resistancerequired in writing.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 I have illustrated a modification of my improvedwriting guide comprising a plate 11 formed of two sections, an u per andlower section, the lower section dieing formed with upstanding curvedarms 12 and 13, and said )late is provided with the same number of ba llbearings as the plate 1, and said ball bearings are similarly disposedthereon. The forward end 1-1 of the plate 11 is slightly wider than therear end and the forward opening of the arms 12 and 13 iscorrespondingly larger than the rear opening of said arms. The deviceillustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is ap )lied by plac-- ing the ringfinger and the smal linger under the arms 12 and 13 and moving the guideover the paper in the same manner as the guide illustrated in Figs. 14,inclusive, is moved. This modification can be secured to the hand morequickly and can be re moved therefrom more quickly than the deviceillustrated in Figs. ].-3.

In Figs. 7, 8' and 9 I have illustrated another modification of mywriting guide comprising a plate 15 which is provided with a single ballbearing 16 and an upstanding support 17 having legs 18 secured to theplate 15. The support 17 is provided with a flexible hand-engaging strap19 which strap is formed. with a thumb-engaging portion or pocket 20 andis provided with a socket 21 for receiving a button clasp 22.

The device illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and, 9 is applied to a persons handby extending the thumb through the opening 20 and securing the ends of astrap 19 on the back of the hand by means of the clasp 22 and the socket21.

In Fig. 10 I have illustrated another modification comprising the plate23 provided with a single ball bearing 24 and an upstanding hook 25which is secured on the plate 23 near one of the rear corners. Thedevice illustrated in Fig. 10 may be secured to a persons hand bypassing the hook over the ring finger and placing the plate under thethumb or by placing the hook over the thumb or one of the other fingersand securing it against a different portion of the hand.

In all of the modifications, the ball bearings are formed on the platein the manner illustrated in Fig. 3. My improved guide provides meanswhereby the Writing movement is comfortably facilitated and prevents thehand from soiling the writing paper. The ball bearings. are, soconstructed that the balls comprising a part of said bearings Cannotbecome loosened and cannot be removed except by cutting the plate.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

I claim as my invention I. A writing device of the class describedcomprising a ball bearing plate, an upstanding fingenengaging hooksecured on the forward end of the plate, a U-shaped member secured onthe rear end of the plate, and a cushion secured on the plate.

2. A writing device of the class described comprising a ball bearingplate, an upstanding finger-engaging hook secured on the plate, aU-shaped member secured on the ppite and a cushion slidably secured onthe ate. p 3-. A writing device of the class described comprising aplate formed of two sections and provided with ball receiving pockets, aball held in each pocket, an upstanding hook secured on the forward endof the plate,a cushion slidably secured on the plate, and a clip securedon the rear end of the plate.

4;. A writing device of the class described comprising a plate providedon its lower face with anti-friction supporting means, and a cushionslidably secured on the plate.

5. A writing device of the class described comprising a plate, a cushionsecuring member formed with inwardly bent ends and upwardly projectinglongitudinal flanges slidably arranged on the plate, and a. cushion heldbetween the flanges.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing Will.-

nesses.

JOHN HUGH LACY. Witnesses J. N. HOOKER, C. C. HARPER".

